GALWAY PREVIEW - Day 3
The Co Limerick trainer Charles Byrnes and his 5lb claimer Philip O`Brien may not be the most high-profile team going into today`s Compaq Galway Plate but they can hit the festival headlines courtesy of Super Franky.
In the first year that Irish jump racing`s summer highlight has hit the #100,000 prizemoney mark the big guns have been unleashed including last year`s winner Moscow Express and Lucky Town, who has been runner-up for the last two years.
With Ruby Walsh claimed for Palette, Jason Titley has come in for the coveted ride on Moscow Express, who has had a fine preparation for attempting to emulate the former double scorers, Life Of A Lord (1995-96) and Ross Sea (1964-65).
It`s hard to escape the enormity of his task, however, being rated 8lbs higher and lumping 12st. Yet, having said that, Lucky Town, Nicholls Cross and Colms Rock, who all finished within a couple of lengths of Moscow Express last season, are hardly noticeably better off.
Lucky Town, 13 lengths off Amlah in 1998, hasn`t run since figuring prominently to three out in the Aintree National and although almost certain to go well again, he may find one or two to good up the final punishing hill.
Amlah has been the sole crosschannel based Plate winner but this time there are four raiders bidding to repeat the coup including Forestal who has a fourth in Liverpool`s John Hughes Trophy to his credit.
This is one intensely competitive handicap that rarely throws up shocks, however, and the raiders face a big task in trying to overcome a home team that have been trained with this in mind for months.
Only Amlah (16 to 1) and The Gooser (25 to 1) in 1992 have been results that fall into the skinner category in recent times but even though the race favours the form horses, we all know it`s always tricky to find the form horse. In the first Galway Plate of the Millennium, however, Super Franky is suggested as the horse to fillthe category.
In chasing terms, Super Franky is comparatively inexperienced but he still was only beaten a nose by stablemate Beacon Lane at Tipperary and the 8lbs conceding Moscow Express at Killarney.
Neither of those tracks, though, would be ideal for the seven-yearold who won five times over hurdles last year, usually racing prominently in stamina demanding events. An appetite for a struggle is just what you need around Galway and Super Franky has that when they face that final hill.
Cross-channel raiders can make their presence felt, however, and quickly too with The Prince in the opening hurdle. Seamus Durack`s ride trotted up over hurdles at Newton Abbot after carrying a 90 rating into 12th in the Royal Hunt Cup.
Barney Curley made headlines of his own last year and returns for the mile handicap with Silvertown, a winner on the sand at Wolverhampton and Lingfield this year and Epsom and York on the grass last year. He has to be feared. Kerry Isle, a half sister toEva Luna and Cois Na Tine, holds up the bottom of the 12furlong handicap but can make the weight concession pay while Step With Style is the obvious for Dermot Weld in the mile maiden.
